Local advocate for veterans raising funds for memorial

Published 8:03 am, Friday, May 31, 2013

It was General George S. Patton who said, “Let us not mourn that such men died, but rejoice that such men lived.”

Jack Barnes, long known in both the Texas Panhandle and in Washington, D.C., as the force behind America Supports You - Texas and the Honor Flights of World War II veterans, has a new cause now.

Recently elected as the president of the board of The American Fallen Warrior Memorial Foundation, he and the organization are seeking to raise more than $37 million to build a national monument to America’s fallen warriors from the Gulf War through the present.

The organization was founded in 2006 by Tonya Evans, a single parent with no ties to the military. The city of Kansas City, Kan., has already donated a 20-acre tract to the project, and architect Norman Schwartz, of Plantation, Fla., has designed the memorial as his donation to the project. Among the few national military memorials outside Washington, DC, there is also a World War I memorial in Kansas City.

Barnes said, “Tonya found me through the friend of a friend through America Supports You - Texas. She called me and we talked two hours. I have to say ‘no’ to a lot of people, and that bothered me for about a week. I thought about that and prayed about that and thought, ‘That’s me - these gold star families.’ That memorial is who I am.”

A gold star family is someone who has lost a member of the family in the military.

Barnes said, “I called her back and said ‘We have to build that memorial, on one condition - we have to do it now.’ So for two years I occupied a place on the board and helped get the organization established. That was in 2008.”

Barnes noted that among the fallen warriors are those suicide victims suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). “PTSD causes suicide and are casualties of war,” he said, adding that the suicide toll is mounting. “They were there for us,” he said. “We need to be there for them.”

Barnes explained that most of the initial legal groundwork is laid, securing 501(c)(3) tax exempt status for the organization so they can receive tax deductible donations. They have a website at www.AFWMF.org with links showing details of the memorial to be built, giving histories of recent fallen warriors and offering several methods of making donations, including directly online. The organization also has a Facebook page at GoldStarWall and a YouTube video at www.youtube.com/user/afwmf.

“I could just feel it,” Barnes said. “God was reaching out to me. We have to support our troops. I went to the board meeting and Tonya pulled me aside and said, ‘It’s time for you to take the leadership role and get this wall built.’

“We need to build it now to honor the legacy of those 7,000-plus casualties of war. That definition is all inclusive. This is from the Gulf War to present.”

Barnes noted that there are 35 fallen warriors from Texas and 58 from the tri-state (Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico) area as of now, that are included in the roll of honor for the memorial. Nine are from the Canyon-Amarillo community. They include Captain Eric Bruce Das, USAF; Sgt Andrew Perkins, USA; Airman Darren Tate, USN; Ensign Patrick J Black, USN; SFC Tommy Folks, TXARNG; Specialist Brandon Meyer, USA; Specialist Taylor J. Burk, USA; Petty Officer Third Class Terry J. Campbell, USN; and Petty Officer First Class Randy Whitaker, USN.

“We have built the national 9-11 memorial in New York City,” Barnes said. “We have built the national memorial to honor flight 93 in Pennsylvania. We have built the national Pentagon memorial. We have honored the service and sacrifice of all those who perished on that tragic day. Isn’t it time to build a national memorial to honor those 7,000 casualties of war that wore the uniform of our military in the service of our country - all volunteers?”

Plans for the memorial include features that will identify all the fallen warriors with a plaque, including a QR code to give visitors information about the people behind each name. As long as the deaths continue, names will be added to the memorial.

Barnes also reported that a piece of concrete and steel from the foundation of the World Trade Center will be making its way across the country this summer, coming through Amarillo on September 9, on its way to Kansas City to become a portion of the memorial.

“This is a very much faith-based fund-raising opportunity to raise donations to have this memorial built, so that these warriors will not have died in vain. It needs to be done today, and it can be done,” he said. “I’m excited. It’s the biggest thing I’ve ever done.”

Anyone desiring more information or wishing to make a donation can do so at the AFWMF.org website or by contacting Jack Barnes at 681-1418 or jrbarnes0407@gmail.com. Barnes noted that he is always glad to speak to groups about the project. “It is our duty to honor these fallen warriors and I don’t take this duty lightly,” he said. “I want to give the opportunity to America’s citizens to support this very important project. I want this national memorial to be a gift to the families of those 7,000 casualties. I don’t want to charge them. They’ve already paid.”